**Breaking News**: Tom "Pink Tutu" Daschle Withdraws from HHS nomination!!

[FORD]

Daschle withdraws Obama nomination
He follows withdrawal earlier Tuesday of chief performance nominee
BREAKING NEWS
NBC, msnbc.com and news services
Tues., Feb. 3, 2009

WASHINGTON - Former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle on Tuesday withdrew his nomination to oversee the Health and Human Services Department, just a few hours after another Obama nominee also withdrew.

Both had controversies with taxes and cited distractions over that as their reasons for withdrawing.

In a White House statement, President Barack Obama said he accepted Daschle's withdrawal "with sadness and regret."

Daschle has been battling for his nomination since it was disclosed he failed to pay more than $120,000 in taxes.

Daschle, in his statement, said he's withdrawing because he's not a leader who has the full faith of Congress and will be a distraction.

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OK, Mr. President.... this is your opportunity to put health care in the hands of a DOCTOR. The Doctor who made your election possible. Call Howard Dean NOW!!!

[GAR]

opposing force/greater resistance=crumbling stone

Or sandstone more like.

[FORD]

Reading up on geology books while you're in the library?

[Nickdfresh]

Daschle's "tax controversies" were far more mild than the other controversial figures. I've heard that Daschle had a long running feud with a few other Democrats and they are the ones that sort of torpedoed this...

[ELVIS]

Tom "Pink Tutu" Daschle ??

[FORD]

Daschle's "tax controversies" were far more mild than the other controversial figures. I've heard that Daschle had a long running feud with a few other Democrats and they are the ones that sort of torpedoed this...

Are they feuding with him because he was such a pussy as Senate Majority Leader?

[ULTRAMAN VH]

Wow, The Prez is actually having a hard time finding politicians with integrity. Who would have thought.

[FORD]

Wow, The Prez is actually having a hard time finding politicians with integrity. Who would have thought.

Well, at least he's trying. The last bunch (BCE) deliberately went the other direction. If he does the right thing and calls Dr. Dean, that problem will be solved.

[ELVIS]

Well, this isn't helping him...LMAO!

[FORD]

I'll bet you voted for DuKKKe when he ran for governor of Louisiana, didn't you?

[Nickdfresh]

Well, this isn't helping him...LMAO!

You must be so bitter that a half-black kid from a one parent household "made it" through education....

[ELVIS]

No dude...

I just stumbled across the illustration while searching the web for news...

No agenda behind the find or my decision to post it...

Nice try though...

[kwame k]

Well....the process works......never have been a Daschle fan, even though he helped Obama get to where he is now, or some of his ex-staff did.....I'm glad he's not in.....I'll agree and say Dean would be a better choice......it's funny....8 years of the most blatant corruption in American history makes cheating on your taxes pale in comparison.

[sadaist]

Now I'm beginning to understand why Democrat politicians always want to raise taxes. Why the fuck not if they don't pay them themselves. Daschle, Geithner, Killefer, Rangel.....

Ah, this new era of change is refreshing.

[kwame k]

Wow....something we haven't seen in a long time....accountability

Obama blames himself for mishandling Daschle


WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is taking responsibility for mistakes in the handling of the tax controversy that led to Tom Daschle's withdrawal as President Barack Obama's nominee to be health and human services secretary, saying: "I screwed up."

The president did a series of back-to-back television interviews in which the subject of failed nominees was a top subject.

Obama told NBC "I'm frustrated with myself" for unintentionally sending a message that there are "two sets of rules" for paying taxes, "one for prominent people and one for ordinary folks."

"I take responsibility for this mistake," he told Fox News.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tom Daschle withdrew Tuesday as President Barack Obama's nominee to be health and human services secretary, dealing potential blows to both speedy health care reform and Obama's hopes for a smooth start in the White House.

"Now we must move forward," Obama said in a written statement accepting "with sadness and regret" Daschle's request to be removed from consideration. A day earlier, Obama had said he "absolutely" stood by Daschle in the face of problems over back taxes and potential conflicts of interest.

The stunning Daschle development came less than three hours after another Obama nominee also withdrew from consideration, and also over tax problems. Nancy Killefer, nominated by Obama to be the government's first chief performance officer, said she didn't want her bungling of payroll taxes on her household help to be a distraction.

"They both recognized that you can't set an example of responsibility but accept a different standard of who serves," said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

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